§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate of the overall cost of the Tyneside Metro; to what extent the cost has been increased from the original estimate; to what extent the increase has been caused by the delay in work due to union blacking; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. William RodgersTyne and Wear County Council's estimate, which I accept, puts the overall cost at £161 million, at November 1975 prices. This represents an increase in real terms of about 15 per cent. on the feasibility study's estimate, made in 1972. No estimate has been made of the extent to which industrial disputes have contributed to increased costs.